Introverts are powerful observers and creators. If you are an introvert, this book will show you how to tap into your inherent introvert strengths and “awaken” your potential using mindfulness meditations and cognitive behavioral techniques.

In a world that favors the outgoing, gregarious extrovert, being an introvert can be difficult. But the truth is that introverts have distinct advantages-as long as they know how to use them. Unlike extroverts, who draw their energy from social interaction, your energy comes from quiet reflection. Is it any wonder then, that mindfulness can help you hone your natural talents?

In The Awakened Introvert, mindfulness expert and card-carrying introvert Arnie Kozak provides a comprehensive set of mindfulness and cognitive behavioral tools to help you maximize your introvert strengths (such as rich access to your interior) while minimizing your introvert weaknesses (such as a tendency toward worry and rumination). In the book, you'll learn powerful strategies to help you monitor your energy; recharge after social interactions; improve social and communication skills; and take advantage of your capacity for quiet reflection, and sweet, sweet solitude.

If you're looking to unlock the full potential of your unique introvert brain, this book provides a fun, practical, and authentic “user's manual.”

“Mindfulness is made for introverts. In The Awakened Introvert, Arnie Kozak, PhD, provides you with simple steps to help you tap into your inner strengths and quiet the noise between your ears. You'll emerge with ninja-like powers to tap into the world's leading expert on `all things you.' Quick tip: It starts with an inhale. You know what to do next. Then, without missing a beat, read Kozak's book.”-Nancy Ancowitz, business communication coach and author of Self-Promotion for Introvertsr

“The Awakened Introvert is the perfect answer to an introvert's need for solitude and sanctuary in a noisy world. Kozak's writing reflects the clarity and flow that introverts can achieve through the mindfulness exercises he weaves throughout the book. I highly recommend The Awakened Introvert for every introvert who wants to explore their inner world and emerge feeling more self-aware and at peace with who they are.”-Michaela Chung, creator of Introvert Spring

“How can we be true to our deepest nature with so many claims on our time, senses, and energy? In The Awakened Introvert, psychologist and author Arnie Kozak offers a road map based on the teachings and practices of mindfulness that helps us stay connected to inner clarity, creativity, and peace in the midst of daily living.”-Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge

“Arnie Kozak's merging of the two paradigms of introvertedness and awakening to the truths of one's existence is a potent reminder of how a thoughtful person can negotiate his or her way in a world fragmented by noise and chaos. Kozak has created an exciting new language to explore the same landscape of human dilemma that the Buddha spoke of. Hopefully more people can listen to this voice and benefit from the message it brings.”-Mu Soeng, Buddhist scholar and author of The Heart of the Universe and other books

“This is a wonderful, practical guide for all those introverts (and extroverts as well) who need to be awakened to their boundless strengths. The author finishes what Susan Cain has begun with her best-selling Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. Arnie Kozak provides an extensive tapestry of `quiet' exercises-mindfulness strategies, social communication skills, energy activities-that enrich self-care and self-restoration, and, most of all, boundless support for how to flourish as an introvert. After all, as the author points out, `the Buddha was an introvert.' Arnie Kozak's book teaches us how to discover the introverted Buddha that lies within all human beings.”-Robert J. Nash, EdD, professor and Official University of Vermont Scholar in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Creative Arts, director of the graduate Interdisciplinary Studies in Education program, and author of fifteen books and over one hundred scholarly articles

“Everyone can benefit from reading The Awakened Introvert. In the first part of the book, those of us who self-identify as extroverts will discover that our personalities also have introverted qualities. That's a revelation in itself! Then, through the use of multiple easy-to-learn mindfulness and cognitive behavioral exercises, the author shows us how to draw on the strengths of introversion to awaken to our full potential as human beings. This is a superb book!”-Toni Bernhard, author of How to Be Sick and How to Wake Up

“Introversion is both a psychological attitude and a way of life. Those of us born introverted must take care not to feel too isolated, exhausted, and inferior or superior with our more extroverted friends, family, and society. Kozak does a superb job here offering us psychological and spiritual wisdom, practices, and research that allow us to engage with the best of what introversion can bring. This workbook is well written and easy to use. I strongly recommend it if you are an introvert or if you live with someone who is.”-Polly Young-Eisendrath, PhD, author of The Present Heart: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Discovery

“Like so many introverts, I'd always sensed my introversion was a gift. But in those times when I tried to conform to an extrovert-driven world, I'd often lose faith in that intuition and feel flawed. Reading The Awakened Introvert has helped me trust my own instincts and deepened my mindfulness practice in surprising ways. I wish this book had been around twenty years ago (it would have saved me a lot of confusion), but I'm glad it's here now. I'd recommend it to any introvert-as well as any extrovert struggling to understand an introverted loved one.”-Jaimal Yogis, author of Saltwater Buddha, The Fear Project, and the forthcoming Harper Collins memoir, All Our Waves Are Water

“There are two reasons why this book is important. The first is obvious: introverts can hugely benefit from the focus strategies provided here. The second reason is perhaps less obvious. After practicing mindfulness for a while, some people become hypersensitive and resistant to interacting with the `normal world.' It's important to know that this is merely a temporary situation, an awkward intermediate stage between semi-coping (through tighten up and turn away) and super-coping (through open up and turn toward). Arnie's suggestions and encouragements can help speed people through that transition.”-Shinzen Young, author of The Science of Enlightenment